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To the Bitter End (Plot Arc)
Overview Created by: Soul Reaver Hosted on: Warpstorm Studios and Hiveworkshop To the Bitter End is a custom Action/RPG Campaign created for Warcraft III. It is set in the Multiverse and features several of the Epic Board Battles protagonists as player-controllable units. Characters *Soul Reaver *Fei Serumen *Cameron Aileron *Kitharsis *Sera Poi *Slayer (non-playable cameo) Notable NPCs *Morganem *Maelstrom *Kathryn Urdanna *Eryion Xanatha *Kherek *Dustwalker *Kaine Shariven *Uthurak *Kurgah Ghar Notable Locations *Ithia **Dhar **Baltur **Gaeth **Veraduin **Kurash **Lethrond Summary The Companions, consisting of Soul Reaver, Fei Serumen, Cameron Aileron, Kitharsis and Sera Poi travel to Ithia to free it from the tyrant-sorcerer Morganem and his immortal Warlords, the Council of Six. After being scattered and weakend by an initial defeat, the companions seek each other out, recover their powers, and assault Morganem a second time. They to discover that Morganem has inadvertently allowed himself to be possessed by a nihilistic, possibly universe-destroying power known as Uthurak, but together, they defeat him. Detailed Events 'Backstory' Morganem, a disillusioned immortal, sought to bring peace, order and prosperity to all the worlds in Ithia. He believed that immortals were more suited than short-lived mortals for this purpose, but also realized that mortals would not give him control over their destinites willingly. To bring his will to bear, Morganem subjugated the Dharuk, a warrior-race from the world of Dhar, to serve as his personal, conquering army. To lead and guide both his army and his mortal subjects, he recruited other like-minded immortals, who formed the Council of Six. However, despite (or perhaps, because of) his efforts, Morganem's empire descended into corruption and tyranny. The companions learned of the suffering of Ithia's people through Soul Reaver's Eye of Justice, and at Soul Reaver's request, Kitharsis, Fei Serumen, Cameron Aileron and Sera Poi joined him to try and end Morganem's rule. Together, they travelled to Ithia, overthrew some of Morganem's puppet governments, and discovered the details of Ithia's recent history - and the location of Morganem's base of operations. Not wasting any time, the Companions went straight to Dhar in order to topple Morganem from his throne. 'Prologue: Shadows Rising' On Dhar, the companions fought Morganem's Dharuk armies and steadily made their way toward Khaal Spire. Meanwhile, Kurgah Ghar, the Dharuk Warmaster, informed Morganem of the companions' imminent attack and that the Dharuk armies were proving incapable of stopping them. With the Council of Six absent and unable to return in time to assist him, Morganem decided his only hope was to use his Reality Disrupter device to destroy the invaders. However, the device would take some time to charge and fire, and Morganem feared that the Dharuk would not be able to hold them at bay long enough. While the companions broke into Khaal Spire and made their way toward Morganem's throne room, Morganem contacted the Void Children. Morganem had previously discovered these powerful inhabitants of the Void and they in turn had pledged allegiance to him - now, he needed their help. As the companions broke down the door to the throne room, Morganem opened Void Portals that allowed the Void Children to arrive and assist him. The Void Children held the companions off long enough for Morganem to charge and fire the Reality Disrupter. The resulting blast forcefully pulled the Companions into the Warp. Having had no time to prepare for this, the effect on the companions was almost fatal: they were scattered throughout Ithia, their memories and most of their powers stripped from them. 'Chapter I: Dark Dawn' Soul Reaver was hurled onto the planet Baltur. Unconscious on his arrival, he was discovered by the native military - a force under the control of one of Morganem's puppet governments. Searching the comatose, foreign-looking warrior, the soldiers investigated with some treipidation. When one of the soldiers picked up Blooddrinker, the sword overwhelmed them with bloodlust, causing them to attack their own comrades. Frightened by Soul Reaver's mysterious appearance, origins, and dangerious magical artifacts, the soldiers brought him to the nearby Greyholm prison. There, Soul Reaver's equipment was stripped from him, and he was placed in solitary confinement in a Prison Cube until they could decide what to do with him. When Soul Reaver awoke, he did not know where he was or how he had gotten there. As he struggled fruitlessly against the Prison Cube, an astral projection of Slayer arrived unexpectedly. Slayer used his powers to put Soul Reaver's guards to sleep and then smash open the Prison Cube. He revealed to Soul Reaver the basics of how he had come to be in the situation he found himself in... though in truth, Slayer knew more than he revealed at this time. When asked if he could assist, Slayer said that his master merely asked him to help upset Morganem's plans by freeing Soul Reaver - not to actively join the conflict. After this, Slayer left, leaving Soul Reaver alone. Soul Reaver proceeded to sneak through the prison. With the assistance of some other prisoners, he managed to seize a key to the storage room containing his equipment - there, he recovered Blooddrinker along with some of his other items. However, his escape was soon discovered by the prison guards, who intended to mobilize the prison barracks to stop the escape. Fighting his way onward, Soul Reaver killed the resident torturer, Karr Veriat, and at the recommendation of a fellow prisoner, freed Hektor Bliten, the leader of a band of rogues and cutthroats. Hektor told Soul Reaver about the prison's Catacomb Dwellers, and suggested releasing them so that the barracks would be sealed off. Though Hektor refused to join Soul Reaver (and took a number of his men with him), he nonetheless assissted the immortal warrior by having his assassins silently kill some nearby guards, opening the way deeper into the prison. Soul Reaver released the Catacomb Dwellers, eliminating the threat from the barracks. After further battles and narrowly escaping an ambush, one of Hektor's men informed Soul Reaver that Luther Arctus, the prison's commander, was planning on magically sealing the prison doors. Soul Reaver was forced to rush to the exit to prevent this from happening, end ended up confronting Luther Arctus, his Dharuk Warrior bodyguard and a large force of prison guards. Although Luther had locked the prison doors with a temporary spell (prior to them sealing for good), Hektor Bliten showed up with reinforcements, revealing that he knew how to unlock the doors. Luther engaged Hektor and Soul Reaver in battle, but was defeated. With Hektor's assistance Soul Reaver opened the exit doors, breaking the Planar Seal on the prison and allowing him to use a Warp Gate to escape. 'Chapter II: The Dream of Blood' Soul Reaver, following the spiritual signature of one of his companions, next arrived in a corrupted, dying forest in the world of Gaeth. There, he was soon beset by undead monsters. He discovered a small hamlet nearby, which had been ravaged and all its inhabitants slaughtered. Their corpses arose as undead and attacked Soul Reaver as well. Delving further into the forest, he encountered another town - again, all its inhabitants had been killed. There, he found Fei Serumen. However, the Vampire had apparently gone insane, and attacked Soul Reaver. Though Soul Reaver managed to force him to retreat, his attempts at restoring Fei to his normal self failed. Soul Reaver pursued Fei, battling more undead along the way, but arrived too late to stop Fei from killing the last inhabitant of another small village. Again the two fought, and again Soul Reaver forced Fei into retreat and Soul Reaver into pursuit through the undead-haunted forest. Their final meeting came some time later at Geierburg village. Although Fei engaged his superhuman speed to try and finish Soul Reaver off, Soul Reaver, together with some selfless help from the town guard, managed to smash Fei into submission. At last, Soul Reaver seemed to get through to Fei, and his sanity and control over his base insticts returned. At this point, the architect behind Fei's madness revealed himself: Kain Shariven, a member of the Council of Six, had found Fei and manipulated him to turn him into a killing machine. He had intended to use Fei to generate corpses that Kaine could raise as undead for Morganem's armies. With Fei sane and having rejoined forces with Soul Reaver once more, Kaine retreated behind a magically sealed gate. Soul Reaver used a Dispel Magic spell that caused the seal on the gates to gradually unravel, though he and Fei had to contend with seemingly unending hordes of undead to buy enough time for the gate to unlock completely. Once the gate opened, Soul Reaver and Fei Serumen confronted Kaine Shariven directly, and eventually killed him. Soul Reaver then opened a Warp Gate and the two left in search of the next member of their group. 'Chapter III: Juggernaut' After the companions' defeat at Khaal Spire, Cameron Aileron had found himself hurled into the forests of the world of Veraduin. However, he had had little time to recover his memories and powers before Dharuk began invading this world as well, sent there on orders to kill him. Though he held them off for a time, the were soon joined by the Juggernaut, Morgnaem's terrifying siege machine. His attempts at fighting the machine proved futile, and Cameron was forced to run for his life. Desperate, and about to be cornered by the machine, the sound of a horn suddenly opened a path for Cameron through the trees. Taking this escape route, the trees closed ranks behind him once more, obscuring his path. Cameron discovered that his rescuer was none of ther than Eivahin, the elder druid of Heart Grove. Eivahin took Cameron back to Heart Grove and spoke to him. He explained that the Dharuk and Juggernaut had been ravaging his forest, and established that Cameron could be an ally against them. At this point, Soul Reaver and Fei Serumen arrived via Warp Gate. Cameron recalled his friends, and they rejoined forces. After Cameron vouched for these newcomers to Eivahin, the Druid asked the companions for help in destroying the Juggernaut, fearing that it would otherwise destroy Heart Grove and in so doing, the entire forest. Eivahin revealed that he could call upon the legendary Treemen to fight at their side, but the companions would have to recover the magical acorns that contained their souls, and that time was short, as the Juggernaut would find them soon. The companions fought their way through many Dharuk-infested clearnings to recover the acorns. On returning them, the druids planted them and began the rituals that would awaken the Treemen. Once they were all returned, the companions had a brief rest in preparation for the battle against the Juggernaut. When the Juggernaut and its Dharuk escorts arrived, Fei, Soul Reaver and Cameron attacked, with the Treemen and druids marched into battle beside them. Though the Juggernaut inexorably ground closer and closer to Heart Grove, the companions and their allies proved too strong for it and eventually destroyed the towering machine. A thankful Eivahin wished the companions all the best as they departed via Warp Gate for their next destination. 'Chapter IV: Heart of Ice' After the assault at Khaal Spire, Kitharsis had found himself on the frozen world of Kurash. After a time, he encountered small groups of Void Children, which stirred memories of his battle against Morganem. After secretly observing the creatures, he saw that they were creating a monstrous Void Growth. Sensing the evil in this creature, he attacked, but was subsequently forced to retreat by the hordes of Void Children guarding it. Kitharsis thought he had eluded these Void Children and built a sheltered campsite, but was attacked again before he had a chance to rest. Then a brutal blizzard began, and Kitharsis become lost and exhausted before collapsing in the snow. The companions arrived on Kurash not much after this, with the brutal blizzard still raging. They soon discovered Kitharsis nearby, almost frozen to death in the snow. He was too weakend to travel through the Warp, and unable to properly shield himself from the sub-zero cold, severly crippling his abilities. The companions decided they would have to find shelter for him - Kitharsis told them that he had a campsite to the North that they could use. As the companions made their way North, they were ambushed by Void Children. The creatures were present in large numbers, and the companions stumbled across a group of them at the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Uthurak, apparently working to draw more Void energy into the world. The path North was blocked by a huge rockfall, so the companions were forced to make a wide detour, while protecting the vulnerable Kitharsis and constantly being hounded by Void Children. When they finally reached the campsite, Soul Reaver and Cameron Aileron collapsed the cliffs near the entrance to the area, preventing the pursuing Void Children from following them. The companions rested at the campsite, where Cameron lit a fire and Kitharsis finally had a chance to recover. Some hours later, the night fell and the blizzard abated. The now fully-recovered Kitharsis explained what had happened since he arrived on Kurash. He insisted that the companions destroy the Void Growth before leaving, having sensed its power and hoping that its destruction might somehow weaken Morganem's forces. The companions agreed. Again the companions set out through the snow. They soon encountered a group of frightened Dharuk and secretly eavesdropped on their convesation: apparently the Dharuk had been sent to Kurash with as small number of Void Children, without being given a reason as to why. In the interim, the Void Children had multiplied in number and when the Dharuk attempted to stop them from performing the rituals they were using to summon the Void Growth, the Void Children turned hostile, forcing the Dharuk to flee. At this point, the Dharuk are attacked by a group of Void Children. The companions joined the battle and finished off both factions. Proceeding further, the companions eventually reached an area where the ground itself was decaying from the influence of the Void Growth. A constant stream of Void Children attacked them and the Void Growth's Void Capillaries burst from the ground and lashes out at them as they approached. Finally, they reached the Void Growth in the midst of another ruined temple to Uthurak. After a brutal battle, they destroyed it. At this point Soul Reaver mentioned a strange observation he had made: that all Void Children seemed to share the same soul - a type of fractured, broken soul that varied only in intensity between them, but was not unique and individual as souls normally are. He did not however understand the reasons for this yet. With their work done, the companions left through a Warp Gate, intent on finding the last of their number still missing: Sera Poi. 'Chapter V: Reunion' When Sera was unwillingly hurled to the world of Lethrond, she slipped into unconsciousness. She was discovered by a Guardian patrol led by Prince Sorin Eridem. Sera's means of arrival led to considerable suspicion - the Guardians had long resisted attempts by Morganem to conquer them, and Morganem's forces typically arrived through Warp Gates (or "dark portals" as the Guardians call them). However, Sorin and his Clerics sensed the Divine blood in Sera's veins and brought her back to their citadel. There, King Garamond Eridem decided that she was to be cared for until she recovered. He based this on the fact that a blessing placed on the lands around the citadel prevented "evil" from gaining magical entry nearby - so the fact that Sera had appeared close by meant that she must not be evil. Sera recovered swiftly, and personally witnessed how the Guardians fought against the Dharuk. Remembering that these were her enemies, and in gratitude for the Guardians' help, she assisted them in battle against their enemies. Unfortunately her activites drew the attention of Morganem's forces and allowed them to track her down. In order to finish her off, Maelstrom and Kathryn Urdanna were sent to Lethrond, leading a large army of Dharuk and Void Children. In the battle, Kathryn struck Sera with a poisoned dart. Although Sera escaped before Kathryn could finish the job, she fell unconscious once back behind the front lines. Once again, the Guardians brought her to their citadel. The clerics tended to her, their healing spells keeping her alive, but she remained unconscous. Morganem's forces meanwhile prepared themselves for a final push. Kathryn erected powerful Darkfire Walls to keep the Guardians at bay while the Dharuk forces constructed a large war camp, and set up Warp Portals to make it easier to ferry troops and equipment from Dhar. Seeing the imminent destruction of his kingdom, King Garamond Eridem sent his elder son Crown Prince Theros Eridem via a secret tunnel to nearby Jutaria to request military aid, while Prince Sorin led troops in skirmishes against Dharuk scout patrols. It was in the midst of one of these skirmishes that the companions arrived on Lethrond. After helping Prince Sorin in a battle against the Dharuk, they were escorted to King Garamond. Judging these warriors to be allies, King Garamond revealed to them what had occurred so far, and asked their assistance in keeping the enemy at bay while the awaited Crown Prince Theros' return. The companions, needing to cover several possible enemy approaches, split up. Together with the Guardian forces, they held off numerous Dharuk assaults, until they abandoned the assualts and retreated back behind the Darkfire walls. At the same time, the Guardian lookouts signalled that Crown Prince Theros was returning. King Garamond, Prince Sorin, and the companions went to meet him. Unfortunately Crown Prince Theros' return did not herald an end to the battle. He reported that Jutaria had been destroyed, and what he witnessed obviously convinced him that they could not defeat Morganem's forces. In order to save his kington, Crown Prince Theros had made a deal with the Dharuk Champion leading those forces, and had brought a sizable force of Dharuk and Void Children with him. Crown Prince Theros said he wanted the Guardians to hand over the companions and surrender to Morganem - in return, Morganem had agreed to end the war, spare his people and provide the Guardians with stewardship over their lands. King Garamond and Prince Sorin both rejected this deal out of principle. Crown Prince Theros, determined to end the war, attacked, while the main Dharuk forces simultaneously attacked the now only lightly defended front line Guardian outposts. The companions, King Garamond and this forces slew Crown Prince Theros and his entourage, and the companions rushed back and managed to save the outposts before too much damage could be done. At this point, Sera Poi finally awakened from her coma, fully recovered. King Garamond informed her of what had happened, and she rejoined the rest of the companions. Using a magical arrow she had kept in reserve, Sera fired her bow through the Darkfire Wall, hitting Kathryn Urdanna straight in the chest. Badly wounded, Kathryn had to be evacuated back to Dhar, with Maelstrom accompanying her. Without Kathryn to maintain them, the Darkfire Walls extinguished. With the Dharuk base exposed, the Guardians charged, while the Dharuk rallied all standing forces for a counter-charge. The companions played a key role in the battle and turned the tide in the Guardians' favour, eventually razing the Dharuk outpost to the ground. Before they were able to leave, the companions were forced to contend with two extremely powerful Void Children. These creatures had been sent by Maelstrom to kill them in retribution for Kathryn's injuries. Fortunately the companions prevailed, and after saying their farewells to King Garamon and Prince Sorin, they made their way toward the final battle on Dhar. 'Chapter VI: Harbingers of War' Upon arriving on Dhar, it quickly became clear that Morganem's forces had heavily bolstered their defenses around Khaal Spire. A Planar Seal kept the companions from arriving close to Khaal Spire, and the approach toward it was now littered with newly-built fortifications. The companions were discovered by a Dharuk patrol shortly after their arrival, and they found theselves engaged in battle almost immediately. The companions reached the first Dharuk outpost, which was under the command of Eryion Xanatha. Though they attempted to parley and appeal to Eryion's sense of honour to stand aside, Eryion's oath's to Morganem prevented him from doing so. It quickly became evident however that the companions could not hurt Eryion - he was protected by a powerful Mana Conduit nearby. Realizing this, the companions focussed on destroying the Mana Conduit instead - once destroyed, Eryion was forced to retreat. Pursuing Eryion, the companions were met by Dustwalker. The ancient Gravewalker demanded the lives of Fei Serumen and Soul Reaver, promising to spare the rest of the warriors if these two were handed over - predictably, the companions did not agree to his terms. In response, Dustwalker mobilized his combined force of Dharuk, Void Children and undead agains the companions. When they approached too close to his Mana Conduit, Dustwalker himself joined the battle as well, but he was unable to prevent the Mana Conduit's destruction. He too was forced to retreat. The next outpost was guarded by Kherek and some of his most loyal Dharuk generals. Greatly incensed by the companions' slaying of the Dharuk, it was only at the urging of one of his Dharuk Officers that Kherek retreated to guard his Mana Conduit, leaving the Dharuk and Void Children to try and kill the companions. However, these efforts proved unsuccessful, and Kherek was forced to join the battle personally. After successfully destroying Kherek's Mana Conduit as well, Kherek pulled back, swearing vengeance on the companions. Kathryn Urdanna, having recovered from her previous ordeal, confronted the companions at the fourth outpost. Showing particular hatred for Sera Poi, she intermittently harried the the companions as they attempted to make headway toward her Mana Conduit, apparently enjoying this as a sort of sadistic game. As they approached too close to her Mana Conduit however, she decided to take the threat more seriously and engaged the companions with all her powers. Fortuantely, the companions managed to smash her Mana Conduit down as well, and when Sera threatened to skewer her with another arrow, she made her retreat. The final outpost was guarded by Maelstrom. He barely contained his rage at the companions for the injury they had inflicted on Kathryn, and engaged them in combat almost immediately. His Mana Conduit proved a lot more difficult to destroy, having been linked to the nearby Void Portals in a manner that allowed Maelstrom to protect it and repair any damage it had suffered with a simple ritual. The companions were forced to fight their way through hordes of Void Children and Dharuk in order to first collapse the portals, then had to hold Maelstrom at bay while the destroyed the Mana Conduit. With its collapse, Maelstrom retreated to Khaal Spire to rejoin with the remaining members of the Council of Six. The companions followed not far behind. Chapter VII: Grim Harvest In Khaal Spire, Kurgah Gar and his generals were engaged in a heated argument - apparently there was dissent in the Dharuk ranks, with a general voicing his feeling that Morganem was abandoning them and instead relying ever more on the Void Children for protection. Meanwhile in the nearby chamber, the Council of Six activated the Obelisk of Strength, using it to create protective Power Orbs in preparation for the companions' arrival. To prevent it from falling into enemy hands, Maelstrom then attempted to destroy the Obelisk. Emerging from the chamber, Maelstrom spoke with the other Warlords, explaining his plan: the Warlords were to retreat to their respective Channeling Circles in order to supercharge Morganem's Reality Disrupter and use it to utterly destroy the companions. The companions, however, arrived in time to overhear Maelstrom's plan. Upon revealing themselves to the enemy, Maelstrom ordered Kurgah Gar to hold the companions at bay. Though Kurgah Gar and his warriors fought valiantly, they were overcome by the companions' powers. Kurgah Gar, mortally wounded, explained that with a simple incantation - which Kurgah Gar did not know - the Warlords could activate their Power Orbs and become effectively invincible in battle. When asked why he would reveal this information, he implied it was because he felt his people had been betrayed by Morganem and the Council of Six. With this information, the companions proceeded to examine the Obelisk of Strength. Despite it having been damaged, Soul Reaver managed to get it working again, and created Power Orbs for the companions as well. The companions then decided their only option to stop the Reality Disruptor from firing was to split up and each attack one of the remaining Warlords before they could finish chargining the device. They all agreed on this plan and then parted ways. Kitharsis fought his way toward Kherek. The hulking insectoid Warlord explained his rage at the companions at having slain so many Dharuk, and that he did not believe they had any moral high ground. When Kherek activated his Power Orb, the one Kitharsis was carrying activated as well. The two energies interfered with each other, and prevented them from working as expected, manifesting instead as wisps of rejuvinating energy that coalesced over the battlefield. Kitharsis and Kherek both utilized these during a long and gruelling battle, but it was Kitharsis that eventually emerged victorious. At the same time, Fei waded through hordes of undead, supported by powerful Void Children, as he made his way to Dustwalker. Dustwalker too explained his grievances - that he had seen Kaine Shariven as a close friend, and that he blamed Fei Serumen and Soul Reaver for Kaine's murder. The Power Orbs were activated when Dustwalker spoke the incantation, and the two champions clashed on equal footing. Fei's superior speed and agility proved too much for Dustwalker's necromantic sorcery, and the Gravewalker was defeated. While this was happening, Cameron Aileron made his way through Eryion Xanatha's training room and library, fending off attacks from golem-like training constructs and Void Children on the way. Once Eryion and Cameron met, Eryion explained how his honour and vows prevented him from ever abandoning Morganem's dream. He seemed glad when his attempt at activing his own Power Orb also activated the one being carried by Cameron - apparently he preferred a level playing field. Eryion fought to the last, with his dying words revealing that he saw this death as an honourable escape from vows that were now forcing him to possibly fight for the wrong side. Elsewhere, Sera Poi fought her way through Kathryn's traps and warriors, eventually arriving at her chamber. The two exchanged bitter words, Kathryn revealing her traumatic past and how it stoked her sense of moral superiority over mortals. Kathryn activated her Power Orb, and in so doing, activated Sera's as well. The two fought viciously, but it was Sera who emerged victorious. Soul Reaver's pursuit of Maelstrom had led him through a series of vicious battles against the Void Children. When he confronted Maelstrom, he became privy to Maelstrom's arrogant, dismissive attitude toward the value of mortal lives - something that disgusted Soul Reaver. The discovery that activating his own Power Orb also activated one held by Soul Reaver infuriated Maelstrom, all the more so when it dawned on him that Kathryn was in real danger. Despite fighting as only a raging immortal could, Maelstrom was overcome by Soul Reaver's abilities. With the Council of Six destroyed, the companions made their way unopposed to the gates leading to Morganem's throne room. They regrouped outside his chamber. At Soul Reaver's suggestion, they decided their first priority on entering the throne room would be for Soul Reaver to destroy the Reality Disrupter in order to prevent Morganem using it against them again. Their plan set, they threw open the doors to the throne room... 'Chapter VIII: The Bitter End' Bursting into the throne room, the companions immediately set their plan into action. Soul Reaver began casting a power Sphere of Annihilation spell, while the others covered him in the event of an attack. Soul Reaver completed the spell and launched it at the Reality Disrupter, utterly obliterating the device. Morganem, however, did not seem fazed by this turn of events. It quickly became apparent that Morganem was no longer himself. He spoke with a strange voice, and appeared to struggle to regain control over something that was slowly consuming his thoughts and personality. An astral projection of Slayer appeared to the companions just as Soul Reaver began to realize what was going on. Slayer explained that the Void and the Void Children were in fact Uthurak - a type of sentient 'anti-Ithia' that sought to destroy the entire Plane, and that it was now possessing Morganem and using him as an anchor point back into Ithia. Slayer apparently had known about this since the beginning, and his goal in assisting the companions was not in actually to help them defeat Morganem, but rather to prevent the rise of Uthurak. Slayer's astral projection then attacked Morganem/Uthurak but was swiftly and soundly banished. The companions, realizing the huge threat posed by this entity, then engaged in a titanic battle against it. Despite unleashing truly horrifying powers - culminating in an attempted casting of a world-ending Apocalypse spell - the companions fought on with desperate courage. And finally, Morganem fell. In his last moments, Morgnaem thanked the companions for having stopped Uthurak, and expressed his regret at how his attempt at creating a utopia had failed. Then, Khaal Spire began to collapse, and the companions were forced to evacuate the crumbling structure. Epilogue': New Beginnings' The companions emerged from Khaal Spire just before it collapsed behind them in a burst of magical energy. However, they found themselves facing a vast army of Dharuk. After a few tense moments, the Dharuk bowed their heads in respect and surrender, and left the field without a fight. The fates of some of the other worlds is then briefly shown. On Baltur, Hektor Bliten now led his small army of rogues against the tyrannical rulers of his lands, and was seen ambushing one of their convoys. The people living in the forest of Gaeth can be seen mourning their dead. The town guard seemed to be making headway in keeping the undead at bay, and the townsfolk were seen to be burning the corpses of destroyed undead abominations. Life appeared to be slowly returning to normal. Meahwile on Veraduin, Eivahin and his druids were seen to be taking back the forest from the Dharuk and repairing the damage that they and the Juggernaut had caused. On the frozen wastes of Kurash, the remaining Void Children could be seen gradually dissipating and fading from reality. Slayer - this time in person - was seen looking on, apparently to confirm that his mission had been completed successfully. The Guardian Kingdom on Lethron was seen undergoing intense rebuilding and fortification, overseen by the new Crown Prince, Sorin. Prince Sorin then left his escorts and joined his father, who was waiting for him at the secret grave erected for Theros. Together, they stood there to mourn and pay their respects. Finally, the companions took were seen to take one last look over the world of Dhar, before opening a Warp Gate and leaving for their next adventure. Trivia To the Bitter End's chronology is intentionally kept vague as it is arguably non-canon, but most logically it would likely have taken place in the time period between the end of The Weaver of Destiny and before the start of Salt in the Wound, Part I Category:To the Bitter End Category:Epic Board Battle Category:Plot Arc